


The Cat Sitting Business

by undermyumbreon



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Cat Sitting, First Meeting, First Meetings, M/M, Pet Sitting, YOI Career Week, YOI Career Week 2017, alternative employment, alternative job, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-30
Updated: 2017-11-30
Packaged: 2019-01-30 04:29:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12646104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/undermyumbreon/pseuds/undermyumbreon
Summary: Christophe Giacometti takes up a brief side job to earn more money to fund his trip to Barcelona, Spain. In his quest for employment, Christophe meets an interesting employer.





	The Cat Sitting Business

**Author's Note:**

> For YOI Career Week between November 20th - 27th
> 
> The prompt is to create a fan fiction based on a job that you had in the past, currently have now, or would want in the future. I chose a job that I currently have: cat sitting. If you want to learn the specifics about my job, feel free to leave a comment! I pretty much went into detail about my experience with some added changes, but I'd love to get asked about what it's like to pet sit.

     For the first time in half a decade, Christophe Giacometti was faced with an unnerving sensation that he had only experienced one other time in his life. He was undergoing flashbacks of his first job interview, which had proved to be an exercise of upmost stress and anxiety. At the naive age of twenty and heavy with the burden of his school studies, managing to persuade the stern employers in a small, stuffy office space to hire him had proven to be a challenge enough. It was bizarre to be undergoing some of these same emotions for a situation where he was going to be cat sitting for two weeks, not work for a big name company.  
     _“Why am I so anxious about this job? I know how to take care of a cat. I own a cat!”_ Christophe thought to himself as he trudged ahead down the sidewalk, his hands in his jacket’s pockets on the cool and windy day. He guided himself past walkers as his nerves continued to act up.  
     When the year had begun, Christophe had promised to himself to take a lovely vacation in Barcelona, Spain if he managed to save enough from overtime hours to pay off the expenses. By the end of August, Christophe had been able to start planning out his elaborate retreat. He loved to watch figure skating competitions on television and had felt it was time to see a major competition in person. However, the costs of the trip were much higher than he had initially assumed they would be. The hotel’s room rate and the flight tickets were the two commodities that were going to drain the trip’s budget. Christophe needed a way to earn more money without dipping into his souvenir and food funds.  
     The easiest way that Christophe had found to bring in a second income was when he saw an advertisement on the bulletin board at his workplace asking for a temporary cat sitter. The job would bring in roughly two hundred francs, enough to cover some of the transportation and housing expenses. Immediately, Christophe called the number on the ad and was set up to watch over the cat in question three weeks later. The man on the phone had been friendly and warm during their call. So, why was he so nervous about meeting the owner of the cat in question?  
     _“Maybe taking care of someone else’s cat while they’re away seems scary?”_ Christophe mused as he took a hand out of his pocket to push open the door of the cat owner’s supposed apartment building, walking into a clean and inviting lobby, _“Maybe I’m afraid the cat will get sick or hurt and I’d be a liability-“_  
     “Sir?”  
     “Ah-“ Christophe uttered as he raised his head, looking around for the source of the voice.  
     “Sir?” the question came again. Christophe’s eyes landed on a petite woman who was standing behind what he assumed was the complex’s front desk. “Are you in need of assistance?”  
     “Yes, actually,” Christophe muttered embarrassedly, walking over to the employee. He was greeted with a bright smile.  
     “I’m sorry for interrupting you, but you seemed confused.”  
     “I guess I got caught up in my thoughts back there,” Christophe smiled back, laughing at himself for his awkward appearance. The woman chuckled along.  
     “It’s perfectly fine. What can I help you with?”  
     “I’m looking for the apartment of a man by this name,” Christophe stuffed his hand back into his jacket, rummaged through it until he pulled out the small slip of paper where he had neatly written down the name and address of the pet owner. He handed it over to the receptionist. She took it eagerly and scanned it over.  
     “Oh, yes, you must be Mr. Giacometti. I was told by this resident that he was expecting you.”  
     “Could you tell me how to get to his apartment?”  
     “Certainly!” the woman offered, “You take the elevator, on your right, and head up to the second flight. When you exit the elevator, take a left, then a right, and the room should be on your right side.”  
      “Thank you so much,” Christophe began to turn toward the elevator when he stopped in place, a question still on tongue, “And, just curious, does this complex allow its residents to own pets?”  
     “Yes,” the woman replied confidently, nodding to further validate her answer, “We allow our residents to own only one animal to ensure that the complex is quiet and sanitary.”  
     “Thank you,” Christophe nodded back at her before he headed in the direction of the elevator. When he entered, Christophe sighed at himself. The doors closed when he pressed the button for the second level of the building. As anxiety traveled through Christophe’s body, he let wild, absurd thoughts rush into the forefront of his mind. Could this man _really_ be trusted?  
     _“Goodness- calm down, Chris!”_ Christophe scolded himself, frowning at his skittish behavior, _“I’m just taking care of another person’s cat. The owner had a photo of himself and his cat in the advertisement. I looked him up online and saw his profile on his job’s website. He’s definitely going on that business trip that he mentioned he was going on when he called me. The woman at the desk said that pets are allowed to live here. So far, so good. Everything checks out.”_  
     As the elevator door slid open, Christophe stepped out into the hallway and laughed at himself. What the actual hell was he going on about, Christophe thought as he headed left. Why was he so worried? Nothing that could happen would catch Christophe off guard. He had dealt with sick cats. He had dealt with one of his cats escaping from his apartment and getting lost for several hours. He had even saved one of his cats from choking on one occasion. Unless the cat was pregnant or had a rare disease, there was little that Christophe had not endured. The owner had not mentioned that the cat had any conditions that would need extra attention.  
     Christophe took a hard right at the first hallway intersection. He recalled the number of the apartment in his head as he scanned each door that flashed by. The numbers were decreasing. Perfect, he was going in the correct direction. Maybe after he talked with the owner, he would be able to calm down.  
     Abruptly, the cat owner’s apartment appeared before Christophe’s eyes. He took a long breath in and knocked hard against the door. Every second that passed by strongly built up the anticipation in the air, especially as Christophe heard footsteps approaching from the other side of the door. The turn of the door knob sent a shock up Christophe’s back. The door swung open to reveal a very handsome man. Curly brunette locks of hair outlined his soft, clean shaven cheeks and cascaded down his neck. He had short, wavy bangs with a hair part down the middle of his head. The man’s eyes were a stunning hazel that sparkled as he moved his head in the bright hallway lighting. He had a smile that could charm anyone.  
     “Hi there,” the owner spoke softly, his voice covered in sweetness.  
     “Hello, I’m Christophe Giacometti, the one who called about pet sitting,” Christophe extended his hand out to the other man. It was taken in a firm handshake. “Thank you for coming on time! You can call me Masumi,” the other man said. He moved aside and away from the doorframe, “Come in!”  
     Christophe made his way past Masumi and into the cozy apartment. He could see a small kitchen area to his left, a small island counter separating the space from the living area on the right. In front of Christophe was a hallway that led to what he assumed were where the bedrooms and bathroom were placed.  
     "I was really surprised to have someone call me the same day that the ad was posted about watching my cat. My friend was the one who put up the fliers at the office. I didn’t think it was going to work so well!"  
     "Did anyone else call you about it?" Christophe asked, curious to see how lucky he had truly been to land the part time job.  
     "Only one other person, but it had been a few hours since we had made arrangements, so I had to decline."  
     “I see.”  
     “Before I tell you what you’ll be doing, do you want to see Zopf?”  
     “Oh, I’m not hungry,” Christophe retorted.  
     “No, no! My cat, Zopf,” Masumi burst out in a fit of giggles.  
     “Oh!” Christophe chuckled along, “Yes, I would love to.”  
     Masumi walked passed Christophe into the living space, his head turning side to side as he scanned the area for his beloved pet.  
     “Here he is! This is Zopf,” Masumi pointed to a cushioned chair where the cat was resting peacefully. The cat was brown and orange with beige stripes covering his entire back. “I can see where he got his name from,” Christophe joked.  
     “I couldn’t help myself!” Masumi laughed heartedly. Christophe couldn’t help but smile at Masumi’s amusement. “Shall I tell you what you’ll be doing for the next two weeks?”  
     “Go right ahead.” Masumi took the confirmation as a signal to strive over to the kitchen. Christophe followed behind him.  
     “Well, first thing’s first, you'll need to feed him twice every day: once in the morning around eight and once at night between six and eight," Masumi noted as he opened one of the kitchen’s closet doors. Christophe peeked inside as Masumi squatted down on his haunches. There was a large white cat litter container sitting on the floor of the closet. Masumi opened it, revealing that the container was filled with food pellets instead of litter. “So, his food’s right here and you just take this scooper and fill it to the edge with food and dump it into this ball using this plastic funnel,” Masumi picked up the measuring cup that was half buried in the food pellets along with an object that appeared to be the top of a soda bottle. With his hands full, he used a free finger to point to a small, orange sphere nested on the shelf above the food container. “Make sure that this ball is twisted closed when you poor the food pellets in.”  
     “How does it work, exactly?” Christophe asked as Masumi put the measuring cup and funnel back into the container, closing it with a loud click.  
     “He just pushes it around after you twist the ball open and just goes at it."  
     “Is the ball to control how much he eats at once?”  
     “Yeah…” Masumi chuckled, “I had a few incidents that made me think it would be better for him to eat like this.”  
     “Oh, I can relate to that,” Christophe laughed.  
     “After you feed Zopf,” Masumi continued, standing up and pushing the closet doors shut, “You’ll need to refill the water bowl in the kitchen once a day. It’s over here by this end of the kitchen island.”  
     Christophe saw the beige ceramic bowl pushed against the wooden island, a towel underneath to, what he assumed, catch misplaced drops of water.  
     "After that, you can just clean the litter box in the bathroom that’s down the hall. It’s the first door on the left. Just fill it up with more litter when it’s getting low, but don’t empty it completely. Only scoop out the waste and put it into one of the plastic bags that I have lying next to the box."  
     “Okay, I can do that,” Christophe said with a little relief in his voice. He hated cleaning the litterbox.  
     “So, after he eats, you can put the harness on him and take him out to the courtyard. Zopf usually wants to go outside right after his breakfast.”  
     “Wait, harness?” Christophe stared at Masumi as confusion washed over his face.  
     “Yes! I just started taking Zopf out for walks a few weeks ago and he loves it, but he won’t want to stay out for more than fifteen minutes or so.”  
     “So, you want me… to walk Zopf?” Christophe asked hesitantly, suddenly realizing that he was actually facing a challenge that he had no experience with.  
     “Yes.”  
     “And you’re serious?” Masumi strolled over to the front door and unhooked a leash from the jacket hangers nailed to a wooden plank against the wall.  
     “I’m serious! You’ll put Zopf in this and take him out for a stroll in the courtyard.”  
     Christophe stared at the leash and harness, dumbfounded.  
     “And where is the courtyard?”  
     “I can show you. Why don’t we go on a practice walk right now?”  
      “S-sure,” Christophe agreed tentatively, “What should I do if the weather is bad?”  
     “Just keep him inside then. He may meow at the door for a straight ten minutes though before he realizes that he’s not going anywhere!”  
     “Okay.”  
     “Hi, Zopf,” Masumi wandered over to his cat, speaking in a higher pitched voice laced with a loving aura, “Want to go on a walk with Mr. Giacometti?”  
  
     Strapped in to a body harness with a leash attached, Zopf trailed ahead of the two men. The courtyard was a small, square space enclosed by the walls of the apartment complex. The courtyard could only be accessed by the residents of the complex. Concrete paths shot out from the four entry ways, one protruding from each wall. In the center of the courtyard was a small water fountain. It was not currently running and Christophe assumed that it was due to the colder weather. There were square patches of grass and flower beds that laid underneath the benches placed to the left and right of each concrete pathway. Vines with yellowing and dying leaves gripped the brick walls. Christophe thought that the space seemed ill-fit for a pet to wander about.  
     "Do you plan to take the cat elsewhere in the future?"  
     "Oh, yes! There’s a lovely forest with a hiking trail behind the apartments. I want to get him comfortable enough to take him back there by spring."  
     Christophe nodded in response. He watched as the cat cautiously padded across the different terrains. Zopf seemed to take his time, slowly inspecting each plant and bench. He would sniff or lick at whatever object grasped his attention. As Masumi had recommended, Christophe let the cat take the lead around the courtyard. He wasn’t like a dog that could be redirected with the tug of the leash.  
     "Having fun?" Masumi asked abruptly, disturbing the quiet. Christophe looked up at the other man, seeing him break into a warm smile. He couldn’t help but grin back.  
     "Yes, this is all very fascinating."  
     "I knowww," Masumi joked, "It gets really riveting when Zopf jumps on a bench."  
     "He has?"  
     "Only once, but then he laid on it for a good ten minutes. I had to sit down next to him when he didn’t get up. I was getting tired of standing and waiting on him!" Masumi was a very easy person to listen to. He turned the ordinary trials of life into hilarious tales that entertained Christophe to no end. Masumi was also a great listener. Christophe explained his big plans for Barcelona, feeling comfortable enough to dive into the details of his itinerary. Masumi listened intently, freely asking questions about Christophe’s figure skating interest, his job, and his own cats.  
     “I think we should head back inside now,” Masumi said after roughly fifteen minutes had passed, “The cold’s starting to get to me.”  
     “I agree.”  
  
     When Zopf was safely inside of Masumi’s apartment, Masumi grabbed a white envelope along with a pair of keys from a small desk that rested next to the door.  
     “Here is your payment and the spare keys to my apartment.” Christophe took the items hesitantly, surprised by the other man’s unyielding trust. "Oh, by the way, Zopf really likes human company. If you have the time, it would be great if you could try to spend around two or more hours with him every day. That’s usually how long I get to see him after work. He just seems happier when he’s not completely alone for hours on end while I’m away.”  
     “I’ll do my best to stay with him every night,” Christophe promised.  
     “If you need to do any work while you’re here, you can find the Wi-Fi password on a piece of paper in the cabinet to the right of the stove.”  
     “I will probably use it,” Christophe confessed, "Thank you."   
     "Oh- and when I return from my vacation, I’d like to plan a day where I can make dinner for us."  
     The proposal made Christophe’s cheeks burn up quickly. He was caught off-guard completely and could only sputter out an odd response.  
     "I’d feel indebted to you.”  
     "This is the best that I can offer for asking someone to watch over my cat with such short notice. I love to cook anyway, so it’s no problem at all! I’d also like to get to know you better, if that’s alright."  
     Chris mulled over the idea. He wanted to point out that he was getting paid a hefty sum to come to the apartment, but he chose to nod instead.  
     “Thank you, I really appreciate that you want to spend more time with me,” Christophe felt his cheeks continue to hold heat. “Well, I guess with that squared away, I should let you go now,” Masumi smiled, “If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to text me or call me.”  
     Christophe nodded as Masumi grabbed the front door’s handle and pulled the door open.  
     “I shall if I need to. Thank you so much for hiring me. I'll take good care of Zopf.”  
     “Have fun!” Masumi wished to Christophe. The apartment door closed quietly behind Christophe as he exited the apartment into the hallway. Heading back towards the elevator, Christophe let out a relieved sigh. He was very excited to start cat sitting now. It would be quite interesting to see how he would fair walking Zopf. He was even more excited to eat dinner with the sweet man who had hired him. Christophe couldn’t wait to share travel stories in the future.


End file.
